Maura's First Snowman
by Mc-Rizzles
Summary: Maura tells Jane she has never built a snowman and Jane decides that is unacceptable and needs to be fixed ASAP. Snowfight ensues. Total fluff. One-shot.


**Author's Note: This is for IsaBabisa for being an amazing friend and beta, and for sugartits-and-smartypants for helping me choose between mistletoe kissing, ice skating and snowball fighting. **

**The only things that belong to me are the mistakes, if you find any.**

**Happy reading.**

* * *

They were on Maura's couch on the day before Christmas Eve, talking about what they used to do during winter when they were kids when Maura dropped the bomb.

"What do you mean you've never made a snowman?" Jane stared incredulously at her friend, who simply furrowed her brow not understanding why it was such a big deal.

"Well, as you know, my parents were busy most of the time and I did not have many friends to play with when I was a child." Maura shrugged. "It's no fun building a snowman on your own. Not to mention the risks of hypothermia for sitting outside in the snow for extended periods of time."

Jane simply kept staring at her, not believing her ears. She knew Maura missed out on a lot of stuff as kid, _but_ _to never build a snowman?_ Now _that_ was completely unacceptable.

"Go and get dressed, we're doing it now."

It was Maura's turn to have a stunned look on her face. "Jane, it's not-"

"No, Maura, it's not open for discussion. C'mon, go and get dressed, we're building a snowman."

"Where on earth do you want to build a snowman?"

Jane simply gestured with her hand towards the windows. "Your back yard. There's plenty of snow and you don't need to worry about staying in wet clothes for too long."

"_Jaaane," _Maura whined.

All Jane did was to shove her friend up the stairs and into her walk-in closet. "Put on something warm. I'll get dressed too and wait downstairs. If you don't meet me in ten, I'll come and drag you down." She wanted to sound stern but couldn't keep the smile off her face at Maura's horrified expression.

"You wouldn't!"

"Wanna bet?"

It didn't take more than that, as Maura hurried to get dressed for what Jane promised herself to be an amazing experience for her friend. She couldn't change the past but she was determined to take full advantage of the present.

After only fifteen minutes Maura met Jane in the living room once again, a record time for the usually very meticulous doctor. Jane couldn't help but chuckle at Maura – chubby winter clothing made her look absolutely adorable. She couldn't help but say so.

"You're adorable."

Maura smiled, her eyes lighting up the whole room. "Thank you. Though my movement is greatly hindered with so many layers of clothing."

Jane arranged Maura's beanie so it would cover up both of her ears, knowing from her own experience nothing is worse than frozen ears. "Well, you're gonna thank me later."

And so they went outside, Jane holding the door open for Maura to exit first.

"Okay, so we're gonna need to build three balls of snow, one really big and one slightly smaller for the body, and then another one even smaller for the head. Then we'll just need to find something to use as a nose, eyes, hands and a hat and we're done!"

"What's the ratio between the snowballs?"

"What?"

"Well, you know, ratio is a relationship between two numbers of the same kind that expresses how many times the first number contains the second, and to make the snowman look as realistic as possible we need to- "

"Really?" Jane gave Maura her patented Rizzoli stare. "Just help me build three balls of snow of different dimensions, it's not that hard."

"But, Jane-"

Jane simply took Maura by the shoulders and looked in her eyes, which effectively silenced her friend. "It's not a test. It's not a competition between who has the better snowman. Just, relax. Let that big brain of yours take a break. Can you do that for me, Maur?"

Maura offered Jane a small smile. "I can try."

"Okay. Now let's get to work before you start worrying about standing too much outside in the cold."

Maura nodded and they started piling up the snow. They worked in silence for a while, but it wasn't uncomfortable. They had spent so much time together that the need to fill up the silence disappeared. It was easy. Natural. The only sounds were hands moving in the snow and the occasional long breath, or boots wandering around over the untouched white blanket that settled in Maura's back yard, creating a sound like stepping over crunchy leaves.

But then, out of nowhere, Jane felt something hit her side. She looked down, at her winter jacket now covered in snow. When her eyes traveled back up to meet Maura's, there was something mischievous in the hazel eyes Jane loved so much. And before she knew it, another snowball hit her, this time in her thigh.

And when had Jane ever passed up such a challenge?

She built a perfectly rounded snowball and threw it at Maura, who turned so it would hit her in the back. Jane leaned back down to gather snow for another one, when she got hit again – this time in the ass.

She jumped and gasped, faking shock. "Okay, that's it, Doctor Isles!"

She took off after Maura, who simply laughed and started running as well. From the outside it would seem strange – two grown women running in circles around a half-finished snowman trying to catch each other, laughing and giggling, but for them it didn't matter.

It was the best time they had in a long time.

It didn't take long before Jane finally caught up with her friend, taking hold of Maura's waist from behind, wrapping her arms securely around her and whispering in her ear. "Gotcha."

Maura let out another chuckle and leaned back into Jane's body, resting her head on Jane's shoulder. They stayed like that for a few moments, simply listening to each other's breathing, before Jane reluctantly let go of Maura's waist. But the blonde didn't move away. She turned around and pushed Jane forcefully on the chest, while keeping her foot behind Jane's heel, so that the detective would fall in the snow behind her. She threw herself down as well, knowing Jane would catch her.

Jane always caught her.

And she did. After a surprised gasp, Jane's arms were once again around Maura, making sure she'd land safely on top of her body.

"You okay?" Jane asked, wanting to make sure Maura wasn't hurt, concern evident in her still playful eyes.

And once again there was something warm and tingly in Maura's stomach. "Yeah. You?" She breathed back.

"I'm okay." A devilish grin took over Jane's face. "But now it's payback time."

Even through Maura's many layers of clothes Jane managed to tickle her, getting her friend to laugh and squirm uncontrollably.

"Oh my god, Jane, stop it!" Maura barely managed to get out, before rolling off of Jane and falling beside her.

"Not a chance!" Jane was on stop of her, growling into her ear and still tickling her as best as she could considered the situation.

Maura would say it was rather effective. It didn't take much longer before she was completely out of air, her stomach hurting from laughing so hard. It was still a very nice feeling.

But Jane knew when too much became too much and stopped right before Maura's pleadings became serious. She didn't want to move though. So she simply lay there, partially on top of her best friend, letting her forearms bear most of her weight.

Jane gazed down in Maura's eyes, watching them soften and fill with love. She didn't want Maura to look at anyone else like that.

Seeing that Maura didn't exactly want to move either, she nuzzled down her cold nose in Maura's warm neck, which earned her another squirm and giggle.

"Jaaane!"

She leaned back and looked down at Maura, who smiled warmly at her. "You're going to get soaking wet if you lie there much longer."

"Well, you _did_ say I'd thank you later."

"No really, do you want me to move?" _Well, that sounded really stupid, _Jane thought. But it wasn't just asking Maura if she wanted her to move. It was also asking if being this close to her is okay and if maybe they could finally cross that line and does she think they'd be fine if they did cross it or does she think it would become awkward between them and ruin their friendship?

But then Maura glanced down at her lips before meeting her eyes again and Jane was a goner.

"No." One whisper. A thousand emotions.

"Are you sure, I mean-"

But Maura leaned up and kissed Jane on the lips and how could anyone's lips be so smooth and soft and gentle and caring? Maura lingered for a moment before leaning back down, looking up at Jane who was still gaping like a fish on dry land.

And then she smiled at her, before cupping her cheek and drawing the pad of her thumb over Jane's cheekbone. "Jane-"

The rest of her words were swallowed by Jane's lips and she leaned down again for another kiss, this time deeper and lingering. When they finally parted Maura's eyes were closed, a happy sigh escaping into the cold air.

And Christmas came a day early.


End file.
